Bane "Blackeye" Brigun
Basic Information Born: Day of Harvesthightide, 1444 DR (48 years old) Male Human (Luskan) Rogue Height: 6' Weight: 170 lbs Hair: Gray, short and styled. Skin: Fair Eyes: Black Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Distinguishing Marks: None Titles: Pirate Captain, Friend of Phlan Education: Fair. Archetype: Evasion/Magic Tank, Melee DPR (Precision), Melee Controller (Sentinel, Riposte), Dex-Skills Master, Face. Class Levels: Rogue 1 / Fighter 4 (Battlemaster) / Warlock 3 (Tome, Great Old One) Str 8, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 16 What his ability scores mean: Bane is much more of a sneak than a manipulator. He is usually both the party scout, rogue, and an excellent tank. So if he runs into trouble by himself he can deal with it. Bane can be a great face, and has the added ability to be able to communicate with just about everything with telepathy, speak with animals, speak with plants and speak with dead. Family: Students: Drake Hightower, Horace Hightower, and River Hightower. Rival: Albert Black. Adherent of the Eye Bane's history is long, and not all of it is easily available or told. He declines to comment about his parentage and his early life, other than he was a thief and a highwayman. We do know that Bane was impressed on the ship "Revenge" at the age of 15, and lived out 10 years as a pirate. He eventually became the captain of the ship before retiring. When he blew through all his money, his next job was as a dungeon explorer and adventurer. He was eventually employed by the dwarves of Gauntlgrym to help delve their ancient city. This is where he gained the skills to track and travel and pick ancient locks. When he grew tired of that job, he became a professional thief, only stealing the most highly prized items. He eventually had enough money that he retired from that job. He bought a mansion in Phlan and holed up there. Time passed. Bane grew bored. He started to do jobs around his home, masquerading as a masked man to keep up his skills. Still, it had been so long he'd forgotten much of what he had learned. One day, about 15 years later, an old artifact he had stolen or been given from ancient ruins in the underdark began glowing - a small eye pendant. When he touched it, it spoke to him. The being called simply, 'the eye' instructed him in warlock powers. It warned him that Phlan was going to be attacked, so he skipped town. A while later, he ended up looking up one of his old students, Drake Hightower. He's been contracted by Drake's father to give the kids basic training years before, and for a handsome sum. The only reason he took the job was to rob the Hightowers' but he took an actual liking to the children, so he dropped the plan and followed through with the agreement. Bane's Introduction Drake saw to the loading of his personal cart. He was getting good at teleportation now. He could make a solid couple hundred gold per week just porting between Rivergard and Ki Lobos' other establishments. Today, he would take supplies back to Rivergard. These were the most boring times he'd had in a while. Peaceful. As he watched his work team load up, he wondered if he should be doing something more productive. Horace had little head for expanding the business, and River was gods-know-where in the Underdark. He should venture into the heart of Waterdeep and have another look at the old Hightower Manor. Or, the rubble. A box teetered on a huge stack. "Look out, you fool!" Drake yelled. He threw out his hand, animating the box and all its contents, but it had already exploded on the deck. "Have a care, young man," a gravely voice said. He let go of the laborer he'd brushed aside, now scared out his wits. "Could it be?" Drake's eyes went wide, "Why I haven't heard that voice in years..." "Yes, Bane Brigun," the old man in a tattered jacket and fur leggings straightened his glasses. "My the years haven't been kind to you, old man," Drake hopped down from the cart. He turned to the laborer and ensured he was ok, then he whipped back to the man, "Come. Have a drink on me." "I'd say we don't have time for that, but a gentleman must oblige his host," Bane smiled, twirling his mustache. Drake poured a cup of wine for each of them. "Where's yours, old boy?" Bane chuckled. "What brings you into town?" Drake took a sip. "As you know, I retired from the life of general rogue-ery.." "Ten years ago," Drake finished, "Last job you took was for my father, teaching the lot of us who to fight. And before that it was piracy, exploration.." "A dash of monster hunting, and good old fashioned highway robbery," Bane chuckled, "Great scott, old boy, it appears you have a hell of an operation here." He peered around at the night crowd beginning to come in. "Do you still have the skills I taught you, though? I see a magical dagger at your side. A magical lute." "Bandore." "Whatever. And a staff. What are you, some sort of wizard now?" Drake smiled, "I'll fight you, anytime anyplace." "Right," Bane shrugged, "Place: here. Time: now. No magic, no magic items. Just good old fashioned rapiers." "You're on, outside," Drake grinned. He leapt behind the bar and stole away a rapier, and Bane pulled out his. “En garde,” the old man said, then leapt forward. Drake parried his first attack, then a second. He counterattacked with a well-placed jab to the arm. As Drake came in for another attack, Bane deflected the blow with his buckler, stabbing for Drake’s cheek. “Not the face!” Drake yelled as he deflected with his own larger shield. Bane kicked Drake’s foot from under him, then slammed the shield into his side as he went down. Drake was quick to roll though. He made another attack but Bane deflected it uselessly. “You’re getting slower, old man!” “I may be old, but you’re out of practice, sonny!” Bane feigned an attack and instead rolled under Drake, stabbing him in the back of his leg. “Son of a~!” “Still got it!” Bane put his blade to the back of his student’s throat, “Yield?” Drake sighed, “You know with magic I would’ve wiped the floor with you.” “That’s why I goaded you into fighting me without it,” Bane wiggled his eyebrows, “How would you have picked me apart?” “Well,” Drake grinned. He teleported 10 feet, to just behind Bane, then he thrust his hand forward, turning Bane into a goat. “Baaaa,” Bane said, broadcasting his thoughts. (Point taken, young one. Now turn me back.) “Wha?” Drake released his polymorph spell, “When’d you learn that?” “All in due time, young sir. And I must say, you have a most rude and uncouth way of demonstrating your powers,” Bane dusted himself off gently, “I can tell you after years of retirement I am a little rusty. You’re still in your prime. You need to practice more.” “Point taken,” Drake started to walk back in the bar, “Is that why you came all the way here?” “No,” Bane sat and took a long gulp of wine, “Honestly, I’m bored. This is no world for old men. Especially of my caliber. I’d rather die doing what I love than get fat off the riches I won in my younger days. So I buried all my treasure, cloaked my estate and now I’m out to seek adventure again. Also, I heard about your sister.” Drake coughed on his wine, “What about her?” “You might say in my wanderings I found a lot of ancient artifacts. One such was an amulet of a wandering eye,” he uncovered it. It was a beautiful green eye. It seemed to wander of its own accord, “As you can see, fascinating. It told me it could save her from herself.” “Does… it know what is wrong with her? So far all of mine and Horace’s efforts have been fruitless. The dragonman we hired to protect her is missing. Thank the gods we got her away from the demon attack in that Kuo-Toa city, but she is once again lost and doesn’t want to be found.” “I assure you, I will find her. I will bring her back to reason,” Bane twirled his mustache, “As you know, Bane always gets his man.” “You mean gets his woman?” “I doubt that’s the appropriate thing to say in the circumstances, old boy. Your sister is far too young for me.” “Ach! Tymora’s teats! That’s not what I was saying and you know it,” Drake put his face in his hands. Bane took another sip of wine, “Of course, there is a price.” “Of course,” Drake replied, “Name it.” “Windvane,” Bane replied, as if the thought were on the tip of his tongue the whole time. “Hmm,” Drake reached into the bag of holding he carried and pulled out a spear much too long for it to fit inside, “I have a couple fond memories of this thing, like when I sweet-talked Aerisi Kalinoth and betrayed her at the end.” “You are a true rogue,” Bane smirked, “My boy!” “But I can let this go,” Drake smirked, handing it to him, “It is much lighter than a normal spear. Easier to wield if you are quick than with your raw power.” “I see,” Bane swung it a few times, spinning it around his body. “Be careful though. It has a minor… side effect of making you forget all your bonds and promises.” Bane scoffed, “I don’t have any of those anyhow. I trust you had little problem with it either?” “You are correct, sir. With guys like us it’s not really a drawback,” Drake pulled out a sending stone as well, “Take this to contact me with information. Morgana set them down right outside of Gracklstugh.” Bane grinned, bowed his head and strolled off on the trail. The entrance to Blingdenstone was not far from here… Weeks later, he finally came upon that seed of the duergar, Grackstugh. With flight or teleportation it would've been easier, but an old rogue still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Nothing a little spider climb and a potion of invisibility can't fix. And having contacts in thieves' guilds never hurts either. At last, he set foot on the rooftop of River's room. Sliding himself into the window, he smiled to find her sleeping and none the wiser. "Even better," he twirled his mustache. All he had to do was gently place the eye medallion over her forehead. After a moment, her eyes shot awake and she became a whirlwind of long red hair and naked woman. And then, she was a bear. "Well, that's new," he shrugged, "Not the worst situation I've been in." (Hold on a moment, young miss) Bane thought at her, and she visibly softened, if that were possible as a bear. (I'm here to help you. I hear you're having a problem with night terrors, and an evil taint in your soul). (How could you know that?) River thought back to him. (Why don't you transform back so we can talk like civilized people?) (Very well, but turn around. I don't want you to see.) (Nothing I've not seen before.) (I should claw you for that!) She pushed him with her giant paw, to which he turned around. He heard the telltale signs of shapeshifting behind him. "So, why are you here?" "Told you before, miss. Here to cure you with the eye. This eye pendant. As for how I know, well, I heard you sleeping." "You can turn around now," She folded her arms, "What do you suppose that little pendant is going to do for me?" "Save you. Believe me, for an eldritch entity, the eye is rather helpful." She sighed, sitting down on the bed, "Alright, Bane. I've had enough people tell me I have a problem. But what if it does cure me? I still have my memories of torture. There are still demons in the underdark threatening the world. I trained a lot to be able to come here and root out this problem." "You need to get away, honey," Bane said, "Tell you what. We can call your brother to come get you. I will stay here and fight demons on your behalf." River thought for a moment. Then she nodded, "Okay. If this truly cures me, not only will I go home and get some rest, I will give the group my magic items. I won't need them anymore." Bane nodded. She laid down and he placed the amulet on her forehead. It was nearly an hour, and mental struggles enough for another story entirely, but River was finally calm. "Here. Take my cloak, necklace and staff. Give the staff to Mord. He could make good use of it," she smiled. And that was that. She'd been alive for almost a year and it had been nothing but struggle and sorrow. But she had the choice now. She could choose to be far away from the sorrow and madness of the abyss. She wasn't trapped anymore. Bane Alone: Neverlight Grove Coming Soon!